Harrogate, Tenn.----Lincoln Memorial University senior forward Desmond Johnson (Lynch, Ky.) posted 16 points as the Railsplitters earned a hard-fought 65-61 South Atlantic Conference victory over Wingate University Wednesday night in Tex Turner Arena. LMU is the number four team in the NABC NCAA Division II top 25 poll.
 
The contest featured the top two teams from last year’s league standings. Lincoln Memorial improves to 7-0 overall and 1-0 in the SAC. Wingate is 2-6 overall and 0-1 in the SAC. The Bulldogs host Carson-Newman College Saturday at 4 p.m., while LMU visits Catawba Saturday at the same time.

LMU sophomore forward Vincent Bailey (Jennings, Fla.) had 14 points, while senior guard Brandon Armstrong (Decatur, Ga.) added 11 markers. For Wingate, junior guard Paidrick Matilus (Boynton Beach, Fla.) posted a season-high 22 points. Senior guard Jaime Vaughn (Tallahassee, Fla.) contributed 13 points to pass the 1000-point plateau for his Bulldog career. The All-SAC performer has 1007 points entering Saturday’s Carson-Newman contest.
 
The hosts led 38-26 on a traditional three-point play by Johnson with 18:43 remaining in the contest. Wingate responded with a 13-4 run to cut the deficit to 42-39 on a Matilus triple with 11:27 to go. LMU padded the lead to 51-41 on two Armstrong free throws at 8:59.
 
The Bulldogs made another move, thanks to a 9-1 flurry. Wingate junior guard Eddie Lewis (Rocky Point, N.C.) hit a three-pointer to make the score 52-50 LMU with 6:25 to play. The visitors would get no closer, as Lincoln Memorial would score nine unanswered points to take a 61-52 advantage on a Bailey lay-up at the 2:51 mark. A Vaughn triple cut the deficit to 63-61 with five seconds left, but the Bulldogs could not get over the hump.
 
In the first half, Lincoln Memorial took a 34-17 lead on a fast break lay-up from Johnson with 4:28 remaining. The 17-point bulge was the hosts’ biggest lead of the contest. Wingate answered, finishing the half with a 9-1 spurt. Bulldog sophomore forward Deion Turman (Pittsburgh, Pa.) ended the flurry with 49 seconds to go, hitting a short jumper to make the halftime score 35-26 LMU. The ‘Splitters shot 52 percent in the first half (13-of-25), while the Bulldogs managed only 34.5 percent shooting in the opening frame (10-of-29).
 
Wingate outrebounded LMU 37-32, thanks to a career-high 10 boards from Turman. The Robert Morris University transfer matched sophomore forward Jeffrey Parker (Madison, N.C.) with three blocked shots, as the Bulldogs recorded eight rejections on the night. Vaughn and Lewis blocked one shot each to complete Wingate’s ledger.
 
Bailey’s 14 points were a big factor as Lincoln Memorial’s bench outscored Wingate’s reserves 25-18. The Railsplitters cooled off in the second half, finishing the game shooting 42.6 percent (20-of-47) from the floor. The Bulldogs improved in the second half by hitting 42.9 percent (12-of-28) after intermission. Wingate shot 38.6 percent (22-of-57) for the game.